Arthur

/ˈɑːθə/

//ˈɑːθə// name

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"arthur" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Arthur” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,542 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#3,542
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A male given name from the Celtic languages.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Arthur vs author
50% similar
Arthur vs archer
50% similar
Arthur vs artful
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Arthur
PropertyValue
HeadwordArthur
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈɑːθə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,542
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Arthur” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Arthur lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for Arthur is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɑːθə/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,542 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for Arthur, with forms such as "arhtur", "arrthur", and "arthhur". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "author", "archer", "artful", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the name of the legendary king, from Middle English Arthure, from Medieval Latin Arthurus, probably from Middle Welsh arth (“bear”). Other suggestions include Old Welsh arth (“bear”) and ur (“man”), or a Latinized (Romano-British) name; compare Latin A… The correct English form is Arthur, spelled A-R-T-H-U-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A male given name from the Celtic languages.
  2. 2
    A surname originating as a patronymic.
  3. 3
    A number of places in the United States:
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  8. 8
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  9. 9
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  10. 10
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  11. 11
    A number of places in the United States:
  12. 12
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  13. 13
    A number of places in the United States:
  14. 14
    A number of places in the United States:
  15. 15
    A former rural municipality in Manitoba, Canada, now part of the municipality of Two Borders.
  16. 16
    A community in Wellington North township, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada, named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.

Etymology

From the name of the legendary king, from Middle English Arthure, from Medieval Latin Arthurus, probably from Middle Welsh arth (“bear”). Other suggestions include Old Welsh arth (“bear”) and ur (“man”), or a Latinized (Romano-British) name; compare Latin Artorius, itself possibly of Etruscan origin, or more likely Messapic-Illyrian related to Proto-Albanian *artsa (“bear”).

This word in other languages

Arturo(Español)Arthur(Français)Arthur(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: arhtur,arrthur,arthhur,arthru,arthurr,artthur,artuhr,atrhur,rathur

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Arthur - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

arhtur2arrthur1arthhur1arthru2arthurr1artthur1artuhr2atrhur2
Edit distance from "Arthur"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Arthur"?
"Arthur" is spelled A-R-T-H-U-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɑːθə/.
What does "Arthur" mean?
As a proper noun, "Arthur" means: A male given name from the Celtic languages.
What words are commonly confused with "Arthur"?
"Arthur" is commonly confused with "author", "archer", "artful". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Arthur"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Arthur" is /ˈɑːθə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "Arthur"?
From the name of the legendary king, from Middle English Arthure, from Medieval Latin Arthurus, probably from Middle Welsh arth (“bear”). Other suggestions include Old Welsh arth (“bear”) and ur (“man”), or a Latinized (Romano-British) name; compa... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “Arthur”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-R-T-H-U-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɑːθə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “author” - see the side-by-side comparison. Arthur vs author
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list